Text & Translation
Tyveknægten (A Mother’s Dream)
German source:
Adelbert von Chamisso
Er ruht in der Wiege so sanft un traut.
Ein Engel muss er ihr scheinen.
Sie küsst ihn und herzt ihn sie hält sich kaum.
Vergessen der irdischen Schmerzen, es schweift in der Zukunft ihr Hoffnungstraum.
So träumen Mütter im Herzen.
Der Rab' indess mit der Sippschaft sein kreischt draussen am Fenster die Weise:
Dein Engel wird unser sein,
der Räuber dient uns zur Speise.
_Original text in Danish by Hans Christian Andersen_
The mother's prayer is heartfelt,
English translation ©
Michael Finnissy
enraptured as she looks at her sleeping child.
At peace in his cradle, calm and assured,
To her he must seem like an angel.
She kisses and cuddles him, unable to stop.
Forgetting all get earthly troubles,
In hopeful dreams for his future.
All mothers dream this in their hearts.
The ravens, outside at the windows,
are scratching and shrieking:
Your tiny angel will soon be ours.
We will peck and pull at his tiny entrails,
relishing them for dinner.
Tyveknægten (A Mother’s Dream)
German source:
Adelbert von Chamisso
The mother's prayer is heartfelt,
English source:
Michael Finnissy
Die Mutter betet herzig, und schaut entzückt auf den schlummernden Kleinen.
The mother's prayer is heartfelt,
Er ruht in der Wiege so sanft un traut.
enraptured as she looks at her sleeping child.
Ein Engel muss er ihr scheinen.
At peace in his cradle, calm and assured,
Sie küsst ihn und herzt ihn sie hält sich kaum.
To her he must seem like an angel.
Vergessen der irdischen Schmerzen, es schweift in der Zukunft ihr Hoffnungstraum.
She kisses and cuddles him, unable to stop.
So träumen Mütter im Herzen.
Forgetting all get earthly troubles,
Der Rab' indess mit der Sippschaft sein kreischt draussen am Fenster die Weise:
In hopeful dreams for his future.
Dein Engel wird unser sein,
All mothers dream this in their hearts.
der Räuber dient uns zur Speise.
The ravens, outside at the windows,
_Original text in Danish by Hans Christian Andersen_
Composer
Michael Finnissy
Michael Finnissy is an English composer and pianist. Finnissy has taught at the Royal Academy of Music, the University of Sussex, and is Professor of composition at the University of Southampton and is Composer in Residence at St. John's College…
Poet
Adelbert von Chamisso
Adelbert von Chamisso was a German poet and botanist, author of Peter Schlemihl, a famous story about a man who sold his shadow. He was commonly known in French as Adelbert de Chamisso(t) de Boncourt, a name referring to the family estate at…